This invention relates to a light-sensitive silver halide photographic material, particularly to a light-sensitive silver halide photographic material improved in color reproducibility.
As the method for forming a dye image by use of a light-sensitive color photographic material, there may be mentioned the method in which a dye is formed through the reaction between a coupler for photography and the oxidized product of a color developing agent. For the coupler for photography for effecting ordinary color reproduction, the respective couplers of magenta, yellow and cyan, while for the color developing agent, an aromatic primary amine type color developing agent, have been recommended to be used. Through the reaction of the respective couplers of magenta and yellow with the oxidized product of an aromatic primary amine type color developing agent, dyes such as azomethyne dye, etc. are formed, and through the reaction of a cyan coupler with the oxidized product of an aromatic primary amine type color developing agent, dyes such as indoaniline dye, etc. are formed.
Among them, for formation of a magenta color image, 5-pyrazolone, cyanoacetophenone, indazolone, pyrazolobenzimidazole, pyrazolotriazole type couplers, etc. may be used.
In the prior art, most of the magenta color image forming couplers conventionally used have been 5-pyrazolone type couplers. The color image formed from a 5-pyrazolone type coupler, although it is excellent in fastness to light and heat, is not satisfactory in the tone of the dye, with unnecessary absorption of light correspondent to the yellow component existing at around 430 nm and also the absorption spectrum of visible light at around 550 nm being broad, whereby color turbidity may be caused giving rise to a photographic image lacking in clearness.
As the coupler having no such unnecessary absorption, 1H-pyrazolo[3,2-c]-s-triazole type coupler, 1H-imidazo[1,2-b]-pyrazole type coupler, 1H-pyrazolo[1,5-b-]pyrazole type coupler or 1H-prazolo[1,5-d]tetrazole type coupler as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,725,067; Japanese Provisional Patent Publications No. 162548/1984 and No. 171956/1984 are particularly excellent.
However, the dye color images formed from these couplers are very low in fastness to light. When these couplers are used for light-sensitive materials, particularly those suitable for direct viewing, necessary conditions essentially required for photographic materials in recording and storage of images will be impaired.
Thus, they involve drawbacks in practical application. Accordingly, as the method improving light resistance, it has been proposed to use a phenol type or phenylether type antioxidant, as disclosed in Japanese Provisional Patent Publication No. 125732/1984.
However, no satisfactory effect of improving light resistance could be obtained. On the other hand, compounds represented by the formulae (XI) and (XII) (shown in the next page) have marked effect in improving light resistance, but they have the drawback of increased colored staining during prolonged storage (or heating) of the photographic image and were also not satisfactory in photographic performance (gradation).
Particularly, they had the drawback of soft tone at the low density portion (leg portion). Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a light-sensitive photographic material which is free from any of these drawbacks and capable of forming a magenta image having good light resistance.